The Human Rights Committee of Parliament has begun a multi-day engagement to review key African Union human rights protocols and strengthen Members’ understanding of Ghana’s obligations under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism.

Chairman of the Committee and Member of Parliament for Kumawu, Ernest Yaw Anim, said the exercise would enable the Committee to deliberate on critical human rights issues while reinforcing Parliament’s oversight role in implementing Ghana’s regional and international commitments.

According to the Kumawu MP, the engagement will focus on the Protocol on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, popularly known as the Maputo Protocol.

He explained that the African Court, established under the 1998 protocol and ratified by Ghana in 2005, complements the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights by adjudicating human rights cases and delivering binding judgments.

Hon. Anim noted that the Committee would also examine the Maputo Protocol, which Ghana ratified in 2007 to strengthen the protection of women’s rights, including measures against female genital mutilation, child marriage, gender-based violence, discrimination, and the promotion of reproductive health, political participation and property rights.

He said the Committee’s deliberations would assess how Ghana’s domestic laws, policies and budgetary allocations align with the country’s obligations under the two African Union protocols.

On the Universal Periodic Review, Hon. Anim disclosed that Members would receive training on Ghana’s reporting obligations to the UN Human Rights Council, where member states undergo periodic assessments of their human rights records every four to five years.

He stressed that Parliament has a critical responsibility to monitor the implementation of recommendations accepted by the government and to ensure that legislative and policy gaps are addressed through effective oversight.

Hon. Anim expressed confidence that the engagement would deepen Parliament’s legislative and oversight role while strengthening Ghana’s compliance with its human rights obligations under both the African Union and the United Nations.

The engagement is expected to continue over the coming days with presentations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and civil society organisations.